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LORD GOROMWY-HOBERTS'S LESTING WITH SILL GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG:
2 DECEMBER 1975
BRIEF NO. 2
DJATHI PENALY
Line to Take
1.
The Minister may wish to raise the following points
with the Governor:
(a)
We notice from press reports that the decision to impose full life imprisonment, save in exceptional circunstances, when commuting death sentences in the future has been well received in Hong Kong.
lie are very pleased that the Governor's decision may have
taken the steam out of this issue.
(b) Does the Governor consider that the existing
arrangements with the Members of the Executive Council will continue to hold in the future?
(c) Will the Governor feel obliged to report the
outcome of his representetions on this issue to his Unofficials when he returns? If so, does he consider there is any alternative to citing UK Parliamentary opinion in explaining this present situation?
Background
2.
The frustration that the Hong Kong public feel over their Government's inability to carry cut death sentences imposed by the Courts has recently come to the surface again but may have been contained by the actions of the Hong Kong Government.
3.
The Governor hes in the past made considerable efforts to arrive at a compromise locally whereby he can commute death sentences and thus avoid placing the Lecretary of State in an awkward position. In early 1974 he managed to persuade the Dembers of the Executive vouncil to acquiesce in any decision to retrieve
in the foreseeable future. This understanding broke down in the face of further brutal murder cases and continued public support
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